The Planning Commission gave rave reviews and unanimous support to the city-sponsored project, but not before hearing from a stream of local residents who brought a 457-signature petition from people less enthused about the planned construction.

The project, which includes businesses on the ground floor, is part of the city’s plan to convert underutilized public land into affordable housing. The Ocean Avenue project, slated for a decades-old parking lot and bus turnaround, is the result of more than five years of work by city housing officials and the local non-profit groups that will develop the site.

The 71 rental apartments include 25 set aside for young people leaving foster care and 34 two- and three-bedroom units suitable for families earning less than half the area’s median income. Because the project is located on a number of transit lines, including the K-Ingleside trolly, it includes only five parking spaces, along with 32 spaces for bicycles.

“This is exactly the type of housing we want to see,” said Commissioner Gwyneth Borden. “If you can’t put housing on a vacant parking lot, where can you put it?”

Just about anywhere else, as far as neighbors are concerned. With street parking already a major headache because of nearby City College, local residents weren’t happy to see the project approved with only a handful of spaces for residents’ cars. They also complained that the low-income apartments could bring increasing police problems to the area.